Greywater Diverter Systems

Greywater Diverter Systems: 5 Key reasons to Install One

There are five key reasons to install and use a greywater diverter system in your home. Two of them are probably pretty obvious, the other three may be new to you but you’ll certainly agree with as you read them.

Save Water
So it’s no surprise that a installing a residential greywater diverter system will save water. By design, that’s what’ it’s supposed to do!By diverting wastewater to your landscape from your bathroom sink, shower, and tub and your laundry room washer using a simple diverter system, you can save as much as 35 gallons of water per person per day (according to the LA Department of Water and Power).You might think that 35 gallons isn’t enough savings to make a dent in our drought-stricken western US, but as more households adopt greywater diverter systems the numbers become significant. Take a look at the chart at the right and think of the savings if every house in your neighborhood installed greywater diverter systems.

Save money on your water bill
Again, it’s pretty logical that reusing water by installing a greywater diverter system will save you money.To get a feel for how much you’ll save, take a look at your most recent water bill and calculate the cost per gallon you paid. Using the estimates above, multiply that per gallon cost by 35 to 40 gallons per day per person in your household and you’ll see that the numbers go beyond pocket change.By researching the cost of greywater diverter systems through websites such as GreywaterAction.org, you can calculate the break-even point and return on your investment. When you do this, however, keep in mind that your investment goes way beyond just dollars and cents. Without sounding too dramatic, you are investing in the environment, the ecosystem, and to an extent the food chain by freeing up clean water for large-scale food production and public consumption.

Save landscapesThe average household in us uses 35% of their water for landscape irrigation. In California and other states where water rationing is in place, many property owners have let their lawns and flowerbeds die in order to meet their water quotas.Replacing lawn areas with drought tolerant landscapes and including greywater diverter systems with drip irrigation will keep neighborhoods alive with natural plants.Even manual distribution of greywater using buckets can keep landscapes alive. While lush green lawns may not be practical, live trees are a necessity. Using greywater to keep trees and shrubs alive makes perfect sense.And, did you know that while greywater is not safe for human or animal consumption, it is a beneficial source of irrigation water? The traces of dirt, hair, and eco-friendly household cleaning products can act as fertilizer for residential landscapes. So not only can greywater reuse save landscapes, it can also enhance them.

Lower the amount of water going into sewers and septic systems

You may not have considered this, but it’s worthwhile to point out that greywater diverter systems that reuse water for landscaping purposes can significantly reduce the amount of water that goes into sewers and septic systems.Less water in these systems reduces the chance of pollution of local bodies of water through underground leakage/seepage.If you have a septic system you know that it must be pumped out from time to time. Reducing the amount of water that goes in will cut down the frequency of pump outs in addition to reducing the risk of pollution.
And while most homeowners without septic systems don’t lose sleep at night over the amount of sewer water they produce, city and state managers are increasingly concerned. Antiquated sewage systems pose risks to the environment (and our clean water supply) so anything we can do to reduce stress on them will help.

Lessen the amount of water that has to be treated by municipal water treatment facilities.

Before household wastewater that runs through sewage systems can be put back into the environment it must be treated through a wastewater treatment facility. Needless to say, treatment of water that contains fecal matter and harsh chemicals (aka blackwater) is critical to public health and the environment. But treating greywater that does not contain fecal matter or toxic chemicals is not a matter of public safety; it simply adds to the burden at these facilities.Using greywater diverter systems that allow reuse of “clean” household waste water lessens the burden at water treatment facilities and cuts down on the amount of energy and resources needed to treat it.

So now that you know 5 excellent reasons to install greywater diverter systems, take the next step and explore the options available to you. For California residents, the Greywater Action website is a very good place to start your research. It a wealth of information and links to get you started.

Another site to explore is GreenSmartsc.com where you can get information about the GreenSmart Greywater Diverter. This remote controlled greywater diverter can be accessed with the push of a button from bathrooms and laundry rooms in your home. It is a key component of greywater diverter systems and is the only legal and approved diverter approved for residential use by every building and safety department in every city in the US. It is UPC listed and code approved.